The Australian tertiary admissions rank (ATAR) will see Year 12 students experience a range of emotions as they learn what their scores are.

Darwin High School student Natasha Hertel woke up early to check her ATAR score, and said she was ecstatic to find she ranked 90.4 out of 100, and with added points for remote locations, 98.75.

"I woke up at 6.30am this morning to make sure I got the results," Natasha, 17, told 105.7 Breakfast.

"I got a better mark than I ever thought I would so I'm absolutely ecstatic at the moment."

With hopes for admission into an Adelaide university physiotherapy course next year, Natasha said her brother had taken a gap year this year so the two could move together.

Some students might not be so lucky though, and Natasha said she had yet to speak to many of her friends.

"I think we're waiting to see who's going to boast about their results first but I'm sure there are a few who are still asleep trying to avoid their results and put them off to Christmas Day," she said.

But the key message social services are keen to send for students is "you're going to be okay", no matter what ATAR score students receive.

Shelly Parkin from Anglicare NT and Headspace said students needed to remember their ATAR score does not define them.

"Don't judge yourself by your score. It's just a number at this point in time, it's not about your place in history. It's up to you what you do from here.

"There are many different pathways to reach your goal. It may be the focus of this week but in six months from now no one will be asking what your score is."

She said students should look to alternative pathways if they did not reach their desired ATAR score.

"I think it is disappointing and it can look like you're not going to achieve those goals but there are many ways to get there. Talk to career counsellors, enter uni under a different degree and look at internal transfers - there are many ways."

She said parents needed to also remember to be supportive of their children as they absorb the news of their ATAR scores.

"For parents I think it's really important to acknowledge for the young person that it is a disappointment and they may be disappointed in the results but they need to be really clear they're not disappointed in their child."

"There are some very successful people who didn't do well at school."

Students can contact Anglicare NT 8985 0000 or Headspace on 1800 659 388 for support.